Not Going Out is a British television sitcom that has aired on BBC One

BBC One

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

 since 2006. Starring Lee Mack

Lee Mack

Lee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack...

, Tim Vine

Tim Vine

Timothy "Tim" Mark Vine is an English actor, writer and comedian. He has released a number of DVDs of his stand-up comedy, as well as starring in the successful series Not Going Out with Lee Mack on the BBC...

, Sally Bretton

Sally Bretton

Sally Bretton is an English actress best known for appearing in television sitcoms including the BBC's Absolute Power, Channel 4's Green Wing, the BBC's The Office, and, most recently, the BBC's Not Going Out....

, Miranda Hart

Miranda Hart

Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke , known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda...

 and Katy Wix

Katy Wix

Katy Wix is a Welsh actress who has appeared in Not Going Out, Comic Relief Special, Rush Hour, Miranda and Torchwood.She also has numerous recurring roles in Horrible Histories...

, it was initially written by Mack, Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins (broadcaster)

Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...

, Paul Kerensa

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, Simon Evans

Simon Evans

Simon Evans , is an English comedian, born in Luton and currently living in Hove.-Early life:Simon Evans attended Verulam School in St Albans and then studied law at Southampton University, graduating in 1986.-Stand-up comedy:...

 and Peter Tilbury

Peter Tilbury

Peter Tilbury born 20 October 1945 in Redruth, Cornwall in England is a British actor and writer.As an actor Tilbury's television appearances include Dixon of Dock Green , It Takes a Worried Man , Miss Marple , Fortunes of War Casualty , The Bill , Birds of a Feather , and Chef! .As a television...

, but now features contributions from other writers.

It was originally cancelled by the BBC in 2009 despite good ratings. However, the BBC revisited the decision in December of the same year as a result of a petition set up, and renewed the show for a fourth series, which has aired from 6 January 2011. A fifth and sixth series have been confirmed.

Series one (2006)

Lee, unambitious and unmotivated, goes from one job to another, living off the good graces of his California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

n landlady Kate, with whom he shares a flat in London. It is not long before they find that their friendship is changing into something more. The situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that Lee's best friend Timothy Gladstone Adams, an accountant

Accountancy

Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...

 from Henley

Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...

, is Kate's ex-boyfriend (they broke up when he left her for a fling with 23-year-old Emma) and he wants to repair their relationship. Lee is torn between pursuing his growing feelings for Kate and remaining loyal to his increasingly paranoid friend.

Series two (2007)

Kate has gone back to America leaving Tim with a flat and lodger he cannot afford to keep. Tim's sister Lucy Adams, a head hunter

Recruiter

A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis...

 recently back from ten years abroad, buys the flat and becomes the new landlady and flatmate to Lee. Tim also hires a cleaner, Barbara, to clean the flat. In "Gay", the series' second episode, 51-year-old Guy first appears and he soon becomes Lucy's boyfriend. Lee, now an ice-cream seller, later appears to fall for Lucy. In the last episode Tim and Lee are convinced Guy is a gangster and has been smuggling diamonds but it turns out that he was having a diamond engagement ring made for Lucy planning to propose on a romantic holiday. Lee leaves the airport thinking Lucy has said yes to Guy but she returns saying that she was too young to get married and that she had split up with Guy. There was also a Christmas Special in 2007 which introduced Tim and Lucy's parents for the first time. In episode 6, Lee meets a woman called Daisy at speed dating, who later appeared to fall for Tim. Although at the time it seems that she will be a one-time character, she reappears in the Christmas special as Tim's girlfriend.

Series three (2009)

The third series sees Lee trying to pursue Lucy, usually egged on by Barbara he invariably ends up making things worse for himself. We also witness Lucy questioning her sexuality, which shocks Lee. Tim's girlfriend Daisy also becomes more of a fixture in series three. In the last episode Lucy is about to marry Pavlov Petrietskivadorski the mechanic so he can stay in the country however she realises that she's made a mistake and Lee gets Barbara to marry Pavlov instead, the last scene is of them driving off together for their honeymoon in India. Barbara is seen back in the flat, wanting to go off with Lee's dad, Frank, who is seen in the last episode, which was broadcast as a Christmas Special on 23 December 2009. Lucy and Lee kiss under the mistletoe.

Series four (2011)

A fourth series of six episodes was filmed from late September to early November 2010. Miranda Hart did not return as Barbara, as filming of the second series of Miranda was also taking place. The series began airing on 6 January 2011. The series finished with a near death experience for Lee, who later organises a date with Lucy.

Series five (2012)

After the airing of series 4 there were rumours in the Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...

 that Tim Vine wished to quit the show.In an interview with TV channel Dave, Tim Vine revealed that a fifth series was being written, and thus disproved the rumour. The British Comedy Guide also confirms the recommissioning with information from "show insiders".

Series six (TBA)

A sixth series has already been confirmed, even though the fifth series has not even been filmed yet.

Main/recurring characters

Actor/Actress	Character	Occupation	Notes	Duration
Lee Mack Lee Mack Lee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack...  (Thomas Gater as a child in flashbacks)	Lee	Various (was temporarily an ice cream man Ice cream van An ice cream van or ice cream truck is a commercial vehicle which serves as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near parks, beaches, or other areas where people congregate... )	Lucy's lodger (originally Kate's lodger)	All episodes
Megan Dodds Megan Dodds Megan Lynne Dodds is an American stage and television actress.-Biography:Megan Dodds was born in Sacramento, California, and after High School she enrolled in a community college where she was cast as Bananas in John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves...	Kate	Book publisher Publishing Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...	Tim's ex-girlfriend	All episodes in Series 1
Sally Bretton Sally Bretton Sally Bretton is an English actress best known for appearing in television sitcoms including the BBC's Absolute Power, Channel 4's Green Wing, the BBC's The Office, and, most recently, the BBC's Not Going Out....  (Ruby Stokes as a child in flashbacks)	Lucy Adams	Headhunter Recruitment Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...	Tim's sister and Lee's landlady/ flatmate	All episodes from Series 2 onwards
Tim Vine Tim Vine Timothy "Tim" Mark Vine is an English actor, writer and comedian. He has released a number of DVDs of his stand-up comedy, as well as starring in the successful series Not Going Out with Lee Mack on the BBC...	Tim Adams	Corporate Accountant Accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...	Lee's best friend	All episodes
Miranda Hart Miranda Hart Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke , known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda...	Barbara Petrietskivadorski	Self-employed cleaner Self-employment Self-employment is working for one's self.Self-employed people can also be referred to as a person who works for himself/herself instead of an employer, but drawing income from a trade or business that they operate personally....	Cleaner / Lee's Acupuncturist in Series 1 Episode 4	All episodes from Series 2 until the 2009 Christmas special, except Baby
Katy Wix Katy Wix Katy Wix is a Welsh actress who has appeared in Not Going Out, Comic Relief Special, Rush Hour, Miranda and Torchwood.She also has numerous recurring roles in Horrible Histories...	Daisy	Hair dresser	Tim's girlfriend	Introduced in Dating, and appears in all future episodes except Gangster, Pregnant and Neighbour
Timothy West Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of... /Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead is an English actor. He has appeared in a huge range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at the Shakespeare Globe, St...	Geoffrey Adams	Retired	Tim & Lucy's parents	Introduced in Murder at Christmas and reappear in Party, Marriage and Dancing
Deborah Grant Deborah Grant Deborah Grant is an English actress.She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and appeared on stage at the Bristol Old Vic and in the West End of London. She has had a successful television acting career....	Wendy Adams	Unknown
Simon Dutton Simon Dutton Simon Dutton is a British actor, best known for playing the title role of Simon Templar in a series of Australian-produced television films in 1989. In 2007, he joined the cast of British sitcom Not Going Out as recurring character Guy, but was written out at the end of season 2.Dutton was...	Guy	Businessman Businessperson A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...	Lucy's boyfriend	Introduced in Gay and appears in all episodes until Gangster, except Dating
Bobby Ball Bobby Ball Bobby Ball is one half of the comedy double act Cannon and Ball, along with Tommy Cannon.He married his first wife, Joan, in 1964, with whom he had two sons, Robert and Darren , who are now a comedy double act in their own right, performing under their surname 'Harper'. Bobby and his first wife...	Frank	Mascot/temporary mall Santa	Lee's father	Introduced in Absent Father Christmas, and reappears in Life on Mars Bars

Production

Most of each episode is shot on set in front of an audience at Teddington Studios

Teddington Studios

Teddington Studios is a large British television studio complex located in Teddington, South-West London, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on BBC television, ITV, and Channel 4 along with others...

 in southwest London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. There are two main sets: the flat and the bar that Lee and Tim frequently visit. Outdoor shots and real indoor location shots have also been used on occasion. The fifth series is being shot at the BBC Television Studios.

The show is filmed in HDTV and, since series 4, airs simultaneously on BBC One HD. Previous to this, the show was not simulcast

Simulcast

Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...

 on BBC HD

BBC HD

BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...

, but shown on BBC HD

BBC HD

BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...

 30 Minutes after the BBC One airing.

A lot of the humour is based on word play

Word play

Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...

 and double entendres delivered in a deadpan

Deadpan

Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...

 manner. This is the comedy style Lee Mack and Tim Vine have used both in stand-up and in The Sketch Show

The Sketch Show

The Sketch Show is a British television sketch comedy programme, featuring many leading British comedians. It aired on ITV between 2001 and 2003.A short-lived spinoff of the same title was produced in the United States.- Original line-up :...

, to the extent that an occasional one-liner from their solo performances is slipped in. This is mostly one sided with Kate/Lucy typically being the victims of the joke. Sight gags

Visual gag

In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humor visually, often without words being used at all.There are numerous examples in cinema history of directors who based most of the humour in their films on visual gags, even to the point of using no or minimal dialogue...

 are also frequently used, while gags and witticisms are incorporated into almost every line of script.

For the first series, episodes were written by Mack and Andrew Collins, with members of the cast credited for additional material. Series 2 saw Simon Evans and Paul Kerensa join the writing team. It was Mack and Collins's job to write most of the episode's material with Evans and Kerensa 'gagging' them up. Series 3 saw the writing team expanded, with Darin Henry

Darin Henry

Darin Henry is an American television writer. He has written for many different television series, including Seinfeld, Futurama and The War at Home...

, Daniel Peak and Simon Dean contributing to the main episodes (all co-written with Mack); the "gag writing" team was also expanded, from two members to as many as eight, not counting the main writers, on a single episode.

In the original pilot of the series, which has not been aired, the part of Kate was played by Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...

. This is referenced in the third episode of Series 1, where Kate says, 'It's like we're an entity. There's no Tim. There's no Kate. We're just one thing called... Tate.'

The Theme song is performed by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

 impersonator Stephen Triffitt.

DVD releases

Series		No. of Discs	Year	No. of Episode	Release Dates
					Region 2	Region 4
	Complete Series 1	1	2006 2006 in British television The following is a list of British television related events from the year 2006.-Events:-BBC One:-BBC Two:-ITV:-Five:-BBC Three:-New channels:-Returning this year after a break of one year or longer:-1950s:*Panorama ....	6	22 October 2007	13 May 2009
	Complete Series 2	2	2007 2007 in British television This is a summary of the year 2007 in British television.-Events:*1 January - Celebrity Big Brother 5 launched on Channel 4, with celebrities such as Jermaine Jackson, Dirk Benedict and Leo Sayer....	8	2 February 2009	9 December 2009
	Complete Series 3	2	2009 2009 in British television This is a list of events taking place in 2009 related to British television.-Events:-BBC:-ITV:-Channel 4:-Five:-Subscription Channels:-New channels:-Defunct channels:-Rebranding channels:-Changes of network affiliation:...	8	27 September 2010	5 May 2011
	Complete Series 4	2	2011 2011 in British television This is a list of events taking place in 2011 related to British television.-Events:-BBC:-ITV:-Channel 4:-Channel 5:-Subscription Channels:-New channels:-Defunct channels:-Rebranding channels:-Changes of network affiliation:...	6	14 February 2011	—
	Complete Series 1 & 2	3	2006 2006 in British television The following is a list of British television related events from the year 2006.-Events:-BBC One:-BBC Two:-ITV:-Five:-BBC Three:-New channels:-Returning this year after a break of one year or longer:-1950s:*Panorama ....  & 2007 2007 in British television This is a summary of the year 2007 in British television.-Events:*1 January - Celebrity Big Brother 5 launched on Channel 4, with celebrities such as Jermaine Jackson, Dirk Benedict and Leo Sayer....	14	2 February 2009	—
	Complete Series 1  – 3	5	2006 2006 in British television The following is a list of British television related events from the year 2006.-Events:-BBC One:-BBC Two:-ITV:-Five:-BBC Three:-New channels:-Returning this year after a break of one year or longer:-1950s:*Panorama ....  – 2009 2009 in British television This is a list of events taking place in 2009 related to British television.-Events:-BBC:-ITV:-Channel 4:-Five:-Subscription Channels:-New channels:-Defunct channels:-Rebranding channels:-Changes of network affiliation:...	22	27 September 2010	—